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Glite Dictionary
beaded lizard

beaded lizard

8.6
A large lizard from western Mexico with shiny black and yellow bead-like scales and a venomous bite
  • noun
  • /ˈbiːdɪd ˈlɪzərd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : lagarto con cuentas
  • beaded lizard and Gila
  • Gila monsters and beaded lizards
  • Male beaded lizard

Examples

  • She gave me a small beaded lizard to squeeze in my hands, and I could play with it as long as I didn't pop it into my mouth.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The beaded lizard, known for its striking black and yellow beadlike scales, is native to western Mexico.

  • In the wild, the beaded lizard hunts small prey using its venomous bite.

  • Unlike many other lizards, the beaded lizard can inflict a painful bite with its venom.

Synonyms

Mexican beaded lizard
vsbeaded lizard
  • US
8.8

A large lizard from western Mexico that can give a dangerous bite and has small round scales like beads

is the general name that omits the national descriptor
Heloderma horridum
vsbeaded lizard
  • Specialized
9.9

A lizard with poison in its bite and black and yellow beadlike scales from western Mexico

is the common name used instead of the Latin scientific term

Surface Forms

beaded lizard singular
beaded lizards plural

Morphology

beaded + lizard

The meaning 'a lizard with bead-like scales' is directly derivable from combining 'beaded' (having or ornamented with beads / bead-like structures) with 'lizard' (a reptile). This simple adjective+noun compositional pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would understand the phrase.

Etymology

Beaded lizard comes from the animal's appearance: its raised, shiny scales look like little beads, so beaded describes the scales and lizard is the animal. That's why the name today means a large lizard with bead-like scales that is 'venomous'.